1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electrosurgical instrument systems and, more particularly, to a universally adaptable contact port for selectively connecting electrosurgical instruments to electrosurgical generators.
2. Background
Electrosurgical instrument systems have become widely used by surgeons in recent years. Accordingly, a need has developed for equipment that is easy to handle and operate, is reliable and is safe. By and large, most electrosurgical instrument systems typically include a hand-held electrosurgical instrument or pencil electrically connected to a source of electrosurgical energy (e.g., an electrosurgical generator). When activated, the electrosurgical instrument transfers electrosurgical energy, e.g., radio-frequency (RF) electrical energy, to a tissue site to treat tissue. The electrosurgical energy is returned to the electrosurgical generator via a return electrode (i.e., for use with a bipolar system) or a return electrode pad positioned under a patient (i.e., for use with a monopolar system configuration). The waveforms produced by the electrosurgical generator yield a predetermined electrosurgical effect which can be used to cauterize, ablate, coagulate or seal tissue depending upon a particular surgical purpose.
Electrosurgical instrument systems are typically provided with electrosurgical activation components (e.g., a remote hand switch or foot switch), operatively connected (e.g., hard wired) to the electrosurgical generator, which allows a user to selectively control the application of the electrosurgical energy to the electrosurgical instrument. In the past, surgeons connected the electrical components or instruments using so-called “banana plugs” or “flying leads”. Recently, electrosurgical instrument systems are increasingly being provided with coupling and/or connecting systems (e.g., a plug) for removably connecting the electrosurgical instrument components and/or the electrosurgical activation components to the electrosurgical generator. Typically, the electrosurgical instrument and/or activation component is provided with a so called “male” connector while the electrosurgical generator is provided with the corresponding “female” receptacle.
As can be appreciated, electrosurgical instruments and/or activation components manufactured by different manufacturers are provided with active contacts having different diameters, e.g., from about 2 mm to about 10 mm making it difficult to use particular instruments with particular generators. As such, components can only be plugged into receptacles having correspondingly sized apertures provided therein or the surgeon has to couple an adapter to the instrument prior to use. Depending upon the number of instruments being used with a particular generator might make the task of providing an appropriate adapter time consuming.
Accordingly, a need exists for a universal contact port for electrosurgical generators which allows components having various sized active contacts to be selectively connected thereto.